Abstract

We unambiguously identify the origin of the current-induced magnetic switching of insulating antiferromagnet/heavy metal bilayers. Previously, different reorientations of the Néel order for the same current direction were reported for different device geometries and different switching mechanisms were proposed. Here, we combine concurrent electrical readout and optical imaging of the switching of antiferromagnetic domains with simulations of the current-induced temperature and strain gradients. By comparing the switching in specially engineered NiO/Pt device and pulsing geometries, we can rule out spin-orbit torque based mechanisms and identify a thermomagnetoelastic mechanism to dominate the switching of antiferromagnetic domains, reconciling previous reports.

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